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[QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 50431, member: 636"]
Krafton has pushed back the release of Subnautica 2 from this year to 2026. The delay might cost Unknown Worlds developers a massive $250 million bonus they were supposed to earn if they hit certain sales targets before 2025 ends. Bloomberg reports that the development team believes they will miss out on this huge payout because of the postponement. The bonus was tied to revenue goals that would have been easier to reach with the game launching this year. Krafton acquired Unknown Worlds back in 2021 for $500 million.

Three company founders suddenly left Unknown Worlds last week after the delay decision. Charlie Cleveland, Ted Gill, and Max McGuire all got replaced by Steve Papoutsis from Striking Distance Studios. Cleveland posted on Reddit that he was shocked and felt the game was ready for early access release. He said Krafton took away his ability to make decisions about the company he started. The founders clearly disagreed with delaying the underwater adventure game.

Papoutsis held a meeting with the development team to explain the delay. He told workers that Krafton believed the game needed more content before launching. When developers asked if the delay was meant to avoid paying the bonus, Papoutsis dodged the question. He said he did not know the details of the acquisition contract. The new studio head claimed Krafton just wanted the best possible version of the game for early access.
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